Osteopenia is a condition characterized by deficient organic bone matrix leading to amounts of bone tissue lower than normal.
Osteomalacia is a condition where bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) is lower than normal.
Both conditions are frequent in preterm and/or low birth weight infants and/or infants suffering from suboptimal intra-uterine nutrition and lead to an increased risk of bone fractures in these populations (Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 2002 86: F82-F85). Infants, children and adolescents suffering from growth retardation due to malnutrition and/or disease are also frequently affected by these conditions.
Osteomalacia in children is usually associated to rickets, whereas osteopenia is often restricted to the wilder, adult form of the disease. Osteomalacia is often considered by many doctors to be a precursor to osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis (“porous bones”, from Greek) is a disease of bone that leads to an increased risk of fracture. This disease is characterized by too little bone formation, excessive bone loss, or a combination of both. In osteoporosis the bone mineral density (BMD) is reduced, bone microarchitecture is deteriorating, and the amount and variety of proteins in bone is altered.
Osteoporosis is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a bone mineral density (BMD) that is 2.5 standard deviations or more below the mean peak bone mass (average of young, healthy adults) as measured by DXA (Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry). As a comparison, osteopenia is defined as a bone mineral density between that is between 1.0 and 2.5 standard deviations below said mean peak bone mass. BMD tests provide individuals with a measurement called a T-score, a number value that results from comparing the bone density of the individuals to optimal bone density.
Osteomalacia is a generalized bone condition in which there is inadequate mineralization of the bone. Osteomalacia or rickets may show signs as diffuse body pains, muscle weakness, and fragility of the bones. The most common cause of the disease is a deficiency in vitamin D, which is normally obtained from the diet and a sunlight exposure.
However there is still a need for a nutritional composition for the prevention and/or treatment of bone disease, among which osteopenia, osteomalacia, rickets and osteoporosis, in particular in infants and young children who were born preterm or with low-birth weight (LBW) or experienced intra-uterine growth retardation (IUGR) or who suffered from growth stunting typically because of malnutrition (usually by experiencing suboptimal intra-uterine nutrition) or experienced disease such as Crohn's disease and/or celiac disease and/or cancer or who were treated with drugs leading to malabsorption, anorexia and/or metabolic bone disease, such as chemotherapy drugs and/or corticosteroids.
There is a need for an improvement of bone disease, such as osteopenia, osteomalacia, rickets or osteoporosis, by a non-drug-based intervention that is compatible with fragile individuals like infants or children.
There is a need for a long term effect in the reduction of the frequency, occurrence, severity and/or duration of bone disease. There is furthermore a need for an effect that becomes measurable “later in life”, especially some years after the intervention.
There is a need for a nutritional intervention in young mammals, in particular infants and children, but also young pets, who were born preterm or with LBW or experienced IUGR or who suffered from growth stunting because of malnutrition or experienced disease such as Crohn's disease and/or celiac disease and/or cancer or who were treated with drugs leading to malabsorption, anorexia and/or metabolic bone disease, such as chemotherapy drugs and/or corticosteroids.
There is a need for such intervention that induces the maintenance or the improvement of bone health in humans and in animals, especially in young mammals.